The shoot-down follows a rise in maritime friction that led G7 leaders to denounce Iran on Friday for disrupting international trade and energy security. A US official told The New York Times that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has launched approximately 30 drones and 10 anti-ship missiles per week since early August. While many of these projectiles miss their targets, at least four commercial vessels were struck in the 10 days prior to the Qeshm interception.
Tuesday, October 20, 2026
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Iran Shoots Down Hostile Drone Over Qeshm Island
War16 days ago
Tehran destroyed an unidentified enemy aircraft over the waters of the Persian Gulf on Oct. 3 using surface-to-air missiles. State news agencies Fars and Tasnim reported that air defenses intercepted the hostile target over Qeshm Island, which resulted in explosions heard by local residents. Analysts identified the used hardware as Sayyad-3 and Sayyad-4 missiles, with some having an operational range of 300km, launched from Bavar-373 and Khordad-15 systems.
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